Mahoning jail scrambles to fill gap from lost city-prisoner fees

By David Skolnick

YOUNGSTOWN — With a three-year deal expiring Sunday that calls for Youngstown to pay an additional fee to Mahoning County to house certain city prisoners at the county jail, county officials are searching for ways to absorb that financial hit.

One option is off the table. The city will not continue to pay the fee — $80 a day for each misdemeanor prisoner jailed there beyond its 71st inmate, said Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams.

Despite the end of the city payments, county Sheriff Randall Wellington said, “We won’t turn the inmates loose. They’ll still be here. It’s a financial crunch for the county, but we can’t turn them loose.”

City officials, including Williams, have complained that Youngstown has paid more than any other community to the county for the same inmate services. Everyone pays county and sales taxes, and only Youngstown has paid this additional prisoner fee for the past three years, city officials say.

The city spent $654,078 on prisoner fees last year, down from $1,120,237 in 2008, according to city financial records.

The city budgeted $380,000 for the fee for January and February this year. City administrative officials say they won’t come close to that number because of a low number of inmates at the county jail during this month. For example, there were 68 city inmates at the jail Wednesday.

The city agreed to pay the additional fee in February 2007 to help the county settle a lawsuit won by jail inmates about inadequate staffing and overcrowding. City officials initially expected to pay about $70,000 a year, but the projection was way off.

With Youngstown currently facing a $2.5 million deficit, city officials say the county is asking the wrong party for financial help.

Officials with the county and city, as well as lawyers representing inmates who won the lawsuit, met privately Wednesday to discuss what can be done.

Those in attendance declined to discuss the details because it was an official federal mediation session requested by the inmates’ attorneys. Under federal mediation, the parties aren’t permitted to talk about the details of the meeting, Williams said.

“The parties departed with the understanding that more work needed to be done and another meeting would be held shortly,” Williams said.

County Administrator George Tablack called the meeting “very positive and very cooperative. We’ll work towards a final plan.”

skolnick@vindy.com